Fun at Gettysburg Farm CG Continues

Yesterday, Friday, we had a great time at the CG.  Unfortunately, it was rather cold, but at least we did not have rain.  The worst part was the wind - 25 to 30 mph. with higher gusts.  We had many layers on to keep warm, including gloves and some wool hats.

We started the day with the 6 of us making breakfast inside Willie!  A little too cold and windy to eat and cook outdoors.  We had a great time "bonding" in the warm.  Then the tie breaking bocce game began with the men being victorious!  How sad!!!!  Jean and George came over to watch the action!  The women decided it should be the best out of 5 games, so George and Jean got in on the action!  Unfortunately the men won that game too!  (Ken hit my ball, which was the closest out of the way and his ball scored the winning point!  Talk about adding insult to injury!)  I was not a "happy camper".

Who left George play???  He got too close too many times!!!

By that time Marcia and Gary arrived.  The 6 of us were finishing a walk when they got here.  Then it was lunchtime!  Following lunch we decided to play a competitive game of miniature golf here at the CG.  What a hoot!  This time the ladies were the winners.  After some ice cream we took the 2 mile walk around the CG. 

A farm theme on this miniature golf course!

The women won over the men!  They look
bewildered!!

Group picture time!  What better than a farm theme!

By then it was time to start the campfire for supper.  Kreiders provided the supper for the group - packets of chicken, potatoes, peppers, and onions with barbeque sauce added.  Then the foil wrapped packets were cooked over the open fire.  We also had tossed salad.  What a delicious supper.  Try it - you will like it!  George and Jean joined us around the campfire we most of us experienced a first!  George shared some of his apple pie moonshine.  That will warm the inners!  Another chance for Jean to have a s'more.  It was a fun evening, but you had to sit close to the fire to keep warm.  It was supposed to get down to 31 degrees overnight, so we will decide in the morning what and where we will have breakfast.

A great supper, but we only sat down to eat around 8!

Everyone tasted the Apple Pie Moonshine from George's
Mason Jar!  It was "warming"!

Another night for Jean to experience the fun of
making s'mores with friends!

Another fun camping day!

More Fun at Gettysburg Farm CG

Yesterday was a day filled with lots of fun times.  We had tea and coffee with Doloris and Fred and then ate breakfast in our separate units.  It was too cold to eat outside.  I believe I prefer the weather in Florida for camping!!!  I am not so good in cold weather!!!!

The 4 of us took the 2 mile walk around the CG checking out the beautiful tent sites by the water and stopping to pet the animals - cows, horses, sheep, llamas, bunnies and burros.  Really enjoyed watching the beautiful peacock try to catch the attention of the female peacock.  She just had no interest!!!!

How Beautiful!

The grass always looks greener on the other side!

The llamas really liked Fred!

 

Sam and Kathy arrived around 11:00.  After eating lunch outdoors, the competitive men vs. the women games began.  It started with Kubb where the women won 3 to 2.  Then the bocce tournament began.  What fun.  George and Jean enjoyed watching the competition.  Bocce ended in a 1 to 1 tie.  The tie breaker will be played on Friday morning. 

Let the Kubb games begin!

And the winner is.......the Ladies!!!

Bocce gets sooooo competitive!  We use a stick
and a tape measure for verifying who is the closest!

The men built a fire for our "burger night".  We were so happy that George and Jean joined us.  The sun was out and the wind had died down, so it was enjoyable to eat outside.  Jean had never had a s'more, so the initiation began. 
Unfortunately, I had bought the new s'more marshmallows to try (there are square shaped a relatively thin to fit onto a graham cracker) and they are not large enough for a regular s'more.  Very disappointing.  New marshmallows are definitely needed.  While sitting around the campfire it started to rain, so the festivities ended by 8:45.  Everyone came to Willie to see the results of American Idol.  Bedtime was 10.  

I love camping, but I definitely prefer warmer weather.  Friday is supposed to be around 60 degrees with winds up to 25 miles per hour!  Wow!  Not a good day for bike riding!



 

Back on the Road Again!!!

Left our house around 10:45 this morning with Willie and headed to Gettysburg Farm Campground an Encore park near York. 

Nice to be back in Willie again!  Hello from the road!

This CG is a working farm and is very nice! Spacious sites and many amenities.

After we were set-up, I was surprised by a familiar face standing outside our door.  It was George and his wife Jean whom we had met at the RV-Dreams Rally near Hershey in September.  What a surprise!  Jean had recently read our blog and knew they would be near this area this weekend.  So, they decided they would surprise us and hope to see us at the CG.  They were driving thru the CG in the tow vehicle to choose their site when they spotted Willie and Diesel.  So nice to see them again. 

This little guy is in the driver's side window of George and
Jean's motorhome.  George pulls a string to "surprise" passing
cars and toll booth people when driving!

After they got set-up the four of us sat outside drinking wine and catching up on what has been going on in our lives since we were together in September.  This RV lifestyle is the best!  We parted at 6:15 so we could make our suppers.

Our friends, Doloris and Fred arrived around 7:30.  After they finished setting up, we spent the evening in Willie playing cards. 

It was a mostly sunny day, but rather windy and cool. 

Been Home For Awhile!!

We have been back home for about 1 month and it seems like a long time since we have been camping in Willie!!  We are looking forward to a camping trip with our friends (3 other couples) the last weekend this month.  We will be heading to Gettysburg Farm, which is very close to home but part of the Zone Pass with Thousand Trails.  Even though it is only about 25 miles away, Ken and I have not been to the Gettysburg Battlefield since Jr. High, so it is about time we explore that area. Hope to do some bike riding that weekend too!

A lot has been happening since we arrived home including a combined birthday party for our youngest daughter's 2 little girls who turned 3 and 5.  There was also a dance recital for her 5 year old and we enjoyed watching her as much as her 3 year old sister and 3 year old cousin who danced the entire evening in the aisle imitating all the dancers on the stage.  (Fortunately, we sat in the back!)  We also had a wonderful Easter Day at our oldest daughter's home with our entire immediate family there for the celebration and Easter egg hunt.  We had all done an Easter egg hunt the day before at our church, so they had plenty of time "egg hunting".

Now we are looking forward to celebrating my father's 88th birthday this Sunday, tax day, with my mother and my sister and her husband.  Over the last 20 years he has had so many health issues, but no one would ever guess all he has been through.  He just constantly keeps bouncing back like the everyready Bunny!!!  Then next Saturday we celebrate the 1st birthday of our youngest granddaughter, Katelyn.  Wow!  Life is good!!!

We have planned many camping trips for this summer - 2 trips in May (4 or 5 days each), 2 in June, then a 2 week trip and a four day trip in July, followed by a 3 day trip close to home with our 3 oldest granddaughters (the oldest is just 5), and then a 5 day adventure to Cape May.  Should be a fantastic summer!

Celebrating Life Daily!!!

Bria, the ballet dancer!

The 3 cousins!  Do they look like trouble????

Cousins, Samantha and Bria

Bria with curls!

These cousins are both 3 years old!

Cali with the curls too!  Mommy, Jamie, was busy this morning!

Samantha

Samantha, Cali, and Bria!  Could Bria and Cali possibly
be sisters????

Back to "Reality"

Well, we have been back home for about 1 1/2 weeks and are so happy to see family and friends, but miss the RV lifestyle.  Due to the warmer weather in PA, we were welcomed by yard weeds, flowerbed weeds, grass that needed mowing, and lots of pollen!  Is it any wonder I LOVE FLORIDA??????

We are slowly getting back into the swing of things and are already planning our camping trips for the summer with our friends and 1 or 2 with our children and granddaughters!  We are fortunate to have about 8 planned from April till August.  We did get a zone pass through Thousand Trails for the Northeast, so we need to make sure we get our monies worth.  We will probably take "Willie" to the Thousand Trail CG near Hershey and leave it there for a week.  Ken could go to work from there and I am hoping to have 3 of my girlfriends come up for 2 or 3 days with their husbands and Ken having dinner there with us the last evening.  It would be a lot of fun!  Due to the higher cost of gas, we will probably not travel quite as far this summer as previous ones, except for our 2 week trip in July with our friends, Sam and Kathy.  We haven't picked the destination for that trip yet, but will very soon!

We got to enjoy the Strawberry Shortcake Birthday Party for 2 of our granddaughters, Bria (5) and Cali (3) last Saturday.  Our oldest daughter and her family were there too, as well as the great grandparents and the other grandparents.  It was such a fun time.  Ken and I also went to the bowling alley to watch the birthday girls bowl the Thursday before.  They liked having grandma and PaPa help them.

Sunday we will visit Neil and Nancy Savage who live near us and we met at the RV-Dreams Rally in Hershey in Sept.  They were in Florida for about 3 weeks and we "overlapped" our camping time at Pine Island for 2 1/2 days.  We are looking forward to seeing them again and talking about our wonderful times in Florida!

I get so excited to share our adventures with our friends and family when we get back home.  I just can't contain my enthusiasm!!!!  One gal said I sound like a newlywed when I start talking about our RV trips.  Just can't help myself.  I LOVE IT!!!!


Proud grandparents have to show off their granddaughers!  When you have 4 granddaughters 5 and under it gets LOUD, but a good time is had by all!!!!

Our daughter Jamie and her husband Dane just listed their
house with Ken.  We thought this photo might help it sell!!

Sam, Bria and Cali's cousin, thought she could help too!!

Back in PA

Yesterday, Sunday, we left Roanke Rapids area and the Carolina Crossroads CG around 7:45 for the final leg of our trip back to PA.  (I would really recommend this CG for a quick overnight stay - only $25.00 and so easy for a 1 night stay!)  It is only about 1 miles of 95 and 10 miles from the border of VA.

We only made a few stops and were back in our driveway by 3:15, traveling about 360 miles.  Within 2 hours we had Willie unloaded, but were exhausted till we were done.  Our youngest daughter, Jamie, had checked in with us early in the day and invited us to dinner at there house - how nice and so appreciated!  We got to see Bria, Cali, Jamie and Dane.  It was a fun evening.  We left at 8:45 and went right to bed when we got home.  All the driving had caught up with us!

We feel so blessed to have had a safe and "uneventful" time driving.  The truck and the 5th wheel did so well and Ken and I felt much more comfortable with the set-up, packing up and all the steps needed for each change of campgrounds.  It all went so smoothly this year.  We are definitely enjoying "Willie" and the whole experience of snowbirding!  The time just goes too quickly when you are in Florida.  There are less hours in the day and less days in the week when you are there!  Now we are looking forward to our camping adventures this spring, summer and fall with our camping friends here in PA!

Homeward Bound!

The whining has official begun!  We left St. Augustine at 7:45 this morning to head back to Akron PA.  It was a gorgeous day for traveling - got to 86 degrees and we had sun for the whole trip.  We weren't sure if we would stop in CG's for 1 or 2 nights for the 1000 mile trip, but I also know Ken.  Once he gets behind the whell, there is no stopping him.  He wants to keep moving.  So we traveled 560 miles, spending the night in a wonderful CG near Roanoke Rapids, VA.  You can stay in an overnight sight that is a pull thru, level, and has all amenities except cable for only $25.00.   A very good deal.  We plan to be back on the road around 7:30 tomorrow morning with the hopes of arriving in Akron by mid to late afternoon.  We just hope an uneventful trip continues!!!!

At least it will be warm when we get back to PA - in the 60's.  Warm temperatures for March!!!